The Los Angeles County Office of Education’s (LACOE) Nutrition and Wellness unit launched its four-part Local School Wellness Policy (LSWP) professional development series. The training brought together over 40 L.A. County school districts that were identified as Team Nutrition-eligible, where 60% or more students qualify for free and reduced priced meals. This series is made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) $1 million dollar grant LACOE received in 2023.

In attendance were nutrition and wellness coordinators from the following districts: 

• Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District
• Bellflower Unified School District 
• Charter Oak Unified School District
• Compton Unified School District 
• Covina-Valley Unified School District
• El Monte City School District 
• El Rancho Unified School District
• Garvey Elementary School District 
• Hawthorne Unified School District
• Lancaster Elementary School District 
• Lawndale Elementary School District
• Lennox School District 
• Los Angeles Unified School District
• Los Nietos School District 
• Montebello Unified School District
• Mountain View Elementary School District 
• Paramount Unified School District
• Pasadena Unified School District 
• Rosemead Unified School District
• Rowland Unified School District 
• South Whittier Elementary School District

The first meeting embraced the excitement of next week’s National School Lunch Week, Oct. 14-18, 2024, with the theme: “School Lunch Pirates: Find Your Treasure!” In this session, key LEA nutrition and wellness staff received guidance and resources on developing their personalized school wellness policy that prioritizes the health and wellbeing of students.  

Each session focuses on specific steps in the policy development process, from building support and assessing existing policies to implementing action plans and celebrating successes. The series features presentations by the LACOE Team Nutrition Project Team and other content experts, and provides opportunities for peer learning, collaboration, and advocacy.

To learn more about LACOE’s commitment to students’ nutrition and wellness visit https://nutritionandwellness.lacoe.edu/